This invention relates to a column packing filled in a device which is divided in a plurality of chambers or channels connected to one another and performs material transfer, heat exchange or mixing between gases, liquids or gas and liquid. The invention relates also to a method for manufacturing such column packing.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Publication No. Hei 3-203976 discloses a column packing of this type. This column packing is made up of a plurality of permeable sheets which are disposed in parallel to one another and extend in the direction of a main stream of fluid. Projecting portions of these permeable sheets are disposed in the direction that crosses the main stream of fluid and these projections function as spacers between the adjacent permeable sheets. This packing (hereinafter referred to as xe2x80x9cX-packingxe2x80x9d because the cross section of a joint portion between two adjacent permeable sheets assumes the shape of the letter X) is beneficial in that fluid flowing down along the permeable sheets is repeatedly joined, mixed, horizontally dispersed and redistributed at each joint of the permeable sheets. Thus, fluid flow which was not uniform when it was charged in the device gradually becomes uniform resulting in an optimum material transfer or heat exchange. Moreover, gas charged in the device passes through the liquid flowing along the inclined surfaces of the permeable sheets and necessary contact between the gas and the liquid is achieved by contacting the gas with the liquid while the gas passes through the permeable sheets, so that material transfer or heat exchange can be effected efficiently with a minimum pressure loss.
For manufacturing this X-packing, the inventor of this application proposed the method described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,673,726. According to this method, as shown in FIG. 22, permeable sheets 51 in plural layers and joints 51b of adjacent permeable sheets 51 are simultaneously produced and a three-dimensional woven packing 50 thereby is produced.
In a case where this X-packing manufactured by the above described prior art method is used as a packing loaded in, e.g., a gas-liquid mixing device, the packing 50 of FIG. 22 is erected in the device and liquid from a distributor is caused to flow from the top to the bottom, i.e., in the direction of arrow A. It is, however, actually difficult to maintain the packing 50 strictly horizontally in the device by reason of an error in installation or other causes and, as a result, the threads that run crosswise of the separated portions 51a and the joints 51b of the packing 50 are disposed in a somewhat inclined relationship to the horizontal direction. For this reason, when the operation of the device is started and liquid is caused to flow in the direction of the arrow A, the liquid flows concentrically along a lower portion of the threads that run crosswise with the result that collection, horizontal distribution and downward redistribution of the liquid are not performed uniformly but flow of the liquid tends to concentrate on the lower portion of the inclined threads running corsswise.
It is, therefore, an object of the invention to provide an X-packing capable of accurately achieving uniform collection and redistribution of liquid at joints of the X-packing.
It is another object of the invention to provide a method for manufacturing such X-packing at a low cost and in a large scale.
For achieving the above described objects of the invention, there is provided a method for manufacturing a packing made of a three-dimensional net-like structure which constitutes an internal structure of a device which performs material transfer, heat exchange or mixing between gases, liquids or gas and liquid, said internal structure being divided in a plurality of chambers or channels connected to one another and said three-dimensional net-like structure being made of a plurality of unit structures which are arranged continuously in vertical and horizontal directions of the three-dimensional net-like structure, each of the unit structures being formed by conversion and dispersion of three line elements, said method comprising a step of forming a converging section of the unit structure where the three line elements converge by twisting the three line elements together.
According to the invention, there is also provided a method for manufacturing a packing made of a three-dimensional net-like structure which constitutes an internal structure of a device which performs material transfer, heat exchange or mixing between gases, liquids or gas and liquid, said internal structure being divided in a plurality of chambers or channels connected to one another and said three-dimensional net-like structure being made of a plurality of unit structures which are arranged continuously in vertical and horizontal directions of the three-dimensional net-like structure, each of the unit structures being formed by conversion and dispersion of three line elements, said method comprising steps of:
(A) preparing a packing manufacturing space by forming a predetermined number of hypothetical channels of a regular triangular cross-section without leaving spaces between them so that six hypothetical channels having one common apex of a triangle form a regular hexagon, said hypothetical channels consisting of hypothetical channels C1 which share one apex of a triangle but do not share a side of a triangle with adjacent hypothetical channels and hypothetical channels C2 which share a side of a triangle with the hypothetical channels C1, and disposing, in the packing manufacturing space, a plurality of rotors each having a circular shape in the radial section, being formed with three recesses in the periphery thereof at an interval of 120xc2x0 for respectively receiving a line element and being connected to a rotor control unit and rotatable by a predetermined angle by operating the rotor control unit, said rotors consisting of rotors R1 each being disposed in one of the hypothetical channels C1, rotors R2 each being disposed in one of the hypothetical channels C2 and rotors R3 each being disposed in a space defined by three of the rotors R1 disposed in three of the hypothetical channels C1 which share one apex of a triangle and three of the rotors R2 disposed in three of the hypothetical channels C2, in such a manner that the line element can be moved between the recess of the rotor R3 and the recess of the rotor R1, and between the recess of the rotor R3 and the recess of the rotor R1 and that the rotors R1 do not contact the rotors R2,
(B) inserting the line elements unwound from bobbins in the respective recesses of the rotors R1 and thereafter rotating the rotors R1 by one revolution or over to twist the three line elements inserted in the respective recesses of each of the rotors R1 and thereby forming a first knot K1 in each of the hypothetical channels C1 downstream of the rotors R1 in a feeding direction of the line elements,
(C) feeding the line elements by a predetermined length, moving the line elements from the recesses of the rotors R1 to the recesses of the rotors R3 and thereafter rotating the rotors R3 by one revolution or over to twist the three line elements inserted in the recesses of the rotors R3 and thereby forming a second knot K2 upstream of the first knot K1 in each of the spaces in which the rotors R3 are disposed,
(D) feeding the line elements by a predetermined length, rotating the rotors R3 and the rotors R2 respectively by 60xc2x0 in opposite directions to each other, moving the line elements from the recesses of the rotors R3 to the recesses of the rotors R2 and thereafter rotating the rotors R2 by one revolution or over to twist the three line elements inserted in the recesses of the rotors R2 and thereby forming a third knot K3 downstream of the rotors R2 and the upstream of the second knot K2 in each of the hypothetical channels C2,
(E) feeding the line elements by a predetermined length, moving the line elements from the recesses of the rotors R2 to the recesses of the rotors R3 and thereafter rotating the rotors R3 by one revolution or over to twist the three line elements inserted in the recesses of the rotors R3 and thereby forming a fourth knot K4 downstream of the rotors R3 and upstream of the third knot K3 in each of the spaces in which the rotors R3 are disposed, and
(F) feeding the line elements by a predetermined length, rotating the rotors R3 and the rotors R1 respectively by 60xc2x0 in opposite directions to each other and thereafter moving the line elements from the recesses of the rotors R3 to the recesses of the rotors R1.
According to the manufacturing method of the invention, a packing 21 consisting of a three-dimensional net-like structure as shown in the schematic perspective view of FIG. 1 can be produced. This packing 21 is made, as shown in the partial perspective view of FIG. 2, of a plurality of unit structures 22 which are arranged continuously in vertical and horizontal directions of the three-dimensional net-like structure, each of the unit structures 22 being formed by conversion and dispersion of three line elements. As shown in FIG. 2, this unit structure 22 is a combination of two triangular pyramids having a common apex 22a and bottom surfaces disposed in opposite directions. Three line elements 23 constitute three sides 22b of each triangular pyramid. The apex 22a of the two triangular pyramids and the sides 22b of the two triangular pyramids are formed by conversion and diversion of the three line elements 23 about a knot 24 which is formed by twisting the thee line elements 23. Accordingly, no element corresponding to the horizontal threads in the prior art X-packing is used at all in this unit structure 22.
Accordingly, by using the packing 21 manufactured by the method of the invention in a device such as a gas-liquid contact device, liquid from a distributor flows in the direction of arrow B in FIG. 1 and, since no element corresponding to the horizontal threads is used in the packing 21, the liquid which has fallen upon the top of the packing 21 does not produce a drift which is caused by flow of the liquid toward a laterally lower portion even if there is an error in installing the packing 21 in the device and, therefore, collection and downward redistribution of the liquid at the apex 22a (i.e., knot 24) of each unit structure 22 are performed uniformly.
In another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method for manufacturing a packing made of a three-dimensional net-like structure which constitutes an internal structure of a device which performs material transfer, heat exchange or mixing between gases, liquids or gas and liquid, said internal structure being divided in a plurality of chambers or channels connected to one another and said three-dimensional net-like structure being made of a plurality of unit structures which are arranged continuously in vertical and horizontal directions of the three-dimensional net-like structure, each of the unit structures being formed by conversion and dispersion of four line elements, said method comprising a step of forming a converging section of the unit structure where the four line elements converge by twisting the four line elements together.
According to the invention, there is also provided a method for manufacturing a packing made of a three-dimensional net-like structure which constitutes an internal structure of a device which performs material transfer, heat exchange or mixing between gases, liquids or gas and liquid, said internal structure being divided in a plurality of chambers or channels connected to one another and said three-dimensional net-like structure being made of a plurality of unit structures which are arranged continuously in vertical and horizontal directions of the three-dimensional net-like structure, each of the unit structures being formed by conversion and dispersion of four line elements, said method comprising steps of:
(A) preparing a packing manufacturing space by forming a predetermined number of hypothetical channels of a regular square cross-section so that these hypothetical channels align in columns and rows without leaving spaces between them, said hypothetical channels consisting of first hypothetical channels CA and second hypothetical channels CB which are disposed alternately in columns and rows of the hypothetical channels, and disposing, in the packing manufacturing space, a plurality of rotors each having a circular shape in the radial section, being formed with four recesses in the periphery thereof at an interval of 90xc2x0 for respectively receiving a line element and being connected to a rotor control unit and rotatable by a predetermined angle by operating the rotor control unit, said rotors consisting of rotors RA each being disposed in one of the first hypothetical channels CA and rotors RB each being disposed in one of the second hypothetical channels CB in such a manner that the line element can be moved between the recess of the rotor RA and the recess of the rotor RB,
(B) inserting the line element unwound from bobbins in the respective recesses of the rotors RA and thereafter rotating the rotors RA by one revolution or over to twist the four line elements inserted in the respective recesses of each of the rotors RA and thereby forming a first knot KCA in each of the hypothetical channels CA downstream of the rotors RA in a feeding direction of the line elements,
(C) feeding the line elements by a predetermined length, moving the line elements from the recesses of the rotors RA to the recesses of the rotors RB and thereafter rotating the rotors RB by one revolution or over to twist the four line elements inserted in the recesses of the rotors RB and thereby forming a second knot KCB upstream of the first knot KCA in each of the hypothetical channels CB, and
(D) feeding the line elements by a predetermined length and moving the line elements from the recesses of the rotors RB to the recesses of the rotors RA.
According to the method of the invention, a packing 40 consisting of a three-dimensional net-like structure as shown in the schematic perspective view of FIG. 3 is obtained. This packing 40 is made of a plurality of unit structures 41. The unit structure 41 is a combination of two quadruple pyramids having a common apex 41a and having bottom surfaces disposed in opposite directions. The three-dimensional net-like structure is made by arranging these unit structures 41 in vertical and horizontal directions.
In the unit structure 41, respective sides 41b consist of line elements 23. That is to say, four line elements 23 constitute four sides 41b and the apex 41a is formed by conversion and dispersion of the four line elements 23. In this unit structure 41 either, there is no element corresponding to the horizontal threads at all and, therefore, the advantageous result of the unit structure 22 can be obtained also in the unit structure 41. In other words, the liquid flows in the direction of arrow D in FIG. 3 and collection and downward redistribution of the liquid at the apex 41a of each quadruple pyramid of the unit structure 41 is performed uniformly.
The present invention can be applied not only to the column packing used in devices such as a gas-liquid mixing device but also to manufacturing of other three-dimensional net-like structure such as ones used for a mist eliminator, a multi-layer filtering film and aggregate.
In one aspect of the invention, there is provided a method for manufacturing a three-dimensional net-like structure including a mist eliminator and a multi-layer filtering film made of a plurality of unit structures which are arranged continuously in vertical and horizontal directions of the three-dimensional net-like structure, each of the unit structures being formed by conversion and dispersion of three line elements, said method comprising a step of forming a converging section of the unit structure where the three line elements converge by twisting the three line elements together.
In another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method for manufacturing a three-dimensional net-like structure including a mist eliminator and a multi-layer filtering film made of a plurality of unit structures which are arranged continuously in vertical and horizontal directions of the three-dimensional net-like structure, each of the unit structures being formed by conversion and dispersion of three line elements, said method comprising steps of:
(A) preparing a three-dimensional net-like structure manufacturing space by forming a predetermined number of hypothetical channels of a regular triangular cross-section without leaving spaces between them so that six hypothetical channels having one common apex of a triangle form a regular hexagon, said hypothetical channels consisting of hypothetical channels C1 which share one apex of a triangle but do not share a side of a triangle with adjacent hypothetical channels and hypothetical channels C2 which share a side of a triangle with the hypothetical channels C1, and disposing, in the three-dimensional net-like structure manufacturing space, a plurality of rotors each having a circular shape in the radial section, being formed with three recesses in the periphery thereof at an interval of 120xc2x0 for respectively receiving a line element and being connected to a rotor control unit and rotatable by a predetermined angle by operating the rotor control unit, said rotors consisting of rotors R1 each being disposed in one of the hypothetical channels C1, rotors R2 each being disposed in one of the hypothetical channels C2 and rotors R3 each being disposed in a space defined by three of the rotors R1 disposed in three of the hypothetical channels C1 which share one apex of a triangle and three of the rotors R2 disposed in three of the hypothetical channels C2, in such a manner that the line element can be moved between the recess of the rotor R3 and the recess of the rotor R1, and between the recess of the rotor R3 and the recess of the rotor R1 and that the rotors R1 do not contact the rotors R2,
(B) inserting the line elements unwound from bobbins in the respective recesses of the rotors R1 and thereafter rotating the rotors R1 by one revolution or over to twist the three line elements inserted in the respective recesses of each of the rotors R1 and thereby forming a first knot K1 in each of the hypothetical channels C1 downstream of the rotors R1 in a feeding direction of the line elements,
(C) feeding the line elements by a predetermined length, moving the line elements from the recesses of the rotors R1 to the recesses of the rotors R3 and thereafter rotating the rotors R3 by one revolution or over to twist the three line elements inserted in the recesses of the rotors R3 and thereby forming a second knot K2 upstream of the first knot K1 in each of the spaces in which the rotors R3 are disposed,
(D) feeding the line elements by a predetermined length, rotating the rotors R3 and the rotors R2 respectively by 60xc2x0 in opposite directions to each other, moving the line elements from the recesses of the rotors R3 to the recesses of the rotors R2 and thereafter rotating the rotors R2 by one revolution or over to twist the three line elements inserted in the recesses of the rotors R2 and thereby forming a third knot K3 downstream of the rotors R2 and the upstream of the second knot K2 in each of the hypothetical channels C2,
(E) feeding the line elements by a predetermined length, moving the line elements from the recesses of the rotors R2 to the recesses of the rotors R3 and thereafter rotating the rotors R3 by one revolution or over to twist the three line elements inserted in the recesses of the rotors R3 and thereby forming a fourth knot K4 downstream of the rotors R3 and upstream of the third knot K3 in each of the spaces in which the rotors R3 are disposed, and
(F) feeding the line elements by a predetermined length, rotating the rotors R3 and the rotors R1 respectively by 60xc2x0 in opposite directions to each other and thereafter moving the line elements from the recesses of the rotors R3 to the recesses of the rotors R1.
In another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method for manufacturing a three-dimensional net-like structure including a mist eliminator and a multi-layer filtering film made of a plurality of unit structures which are arranged continuously in vertical and horizontal directions of the three-dimensional net-like structure, each of the unit structures being formed by conversion and dispersion of four line elements, said method comprising a step of forming a converging section of the unit structure where the four line elements converge by twisting the four line elements together.
In another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method for manufacturing a three-dimensional net-like structure including a mist eliminator and a multi-layer filtering film made of a plurality of unit structures which are arranged continuously in vertical and horizontal directions of the three-dimensional net-like structure, each of the unit structures being formed by conversion and dispersion of four line elements, said method comprising steps of:
(A) preparing a three-dimensional net-like structure manufacturing space by forming a predetermined number of hypothetical channels of a regular square cross-section so that these hypothetical channels align in columns and rows without leaving spaces between them, said hypothetical channels consisting of first hypothetical channels CA and second hypothetical channels CB which are disposed alternately in columns and rows of the hypothetical channels, and disposing, in the three-dimensional net-like structure manufacturing space, a plurality of rotors each having a circular shape in the radial section, being formed with four recesses in the periphery thereof at an interval of 90xc2x0 for respectively receiving a line element and being connected to a rotor control unit and rotatable by a predetermined angle by operating the rotor control unit, said rotors consisting of rotors RA each being disposed in one of the first hypothetical channels CA and rotors RB each being disposed in one of the second hypothetical channels CB in such a manner that the line element can be moved between the recess of the rotor RA and the recess of the rotor RB,
(B) inserting the line elements unwound from bobbins in the respective recesses of the rotors RA and thereafter rotating the rotors RA by one revolution or over to twist the four line elements inserted in the respective recesses of each of the rotors RA and thereby forming a first knot KCA in each of the hypothetical channels CA downstream of the rotors RA in a feeding direction of the line elements,
(C) feeding the line elements by a predetermined length, moving the line elements from the recesses of the rotors RA to the recesses of the rotors RB and thereafter rotating the rotors RB by one revolution or over to twist the four line elements inserted in the recesses of the rotors RB and thereby forming a second knot KCB upstream of the first knot KCA in each of the hypothetical channels CB, and
(D) feeding the line elements by a predetermined length and moving the line elements from the recesses of the rotors RB to the recesses of the rotors RA.
In another aspect of the invention, there is provided a packing made of a three-dimensional net-like structure which constitutes an internal structure of a device which performs material transfer, heat exchange or mixing between gases, liquids or gas and liquid, said internal structure being divided in a plurality of chambers or channels connected to one another and said three-dimensional net-like structure being made of a plurality of unit structures which are arranged continuously in vertical and horizontal directions of the three-dimensional net-like structure, each of the unit structures being formed by conversion and dispersion of three line elements characterized in that a converging section of the unit structure where the three line elements converge is formed by twisting the three line elements together.
In another aspect of the invention, there is proivded a packing made of a three-dimensional net-like structure which constitutes an internal structure of a device which performs material transfer, heat exchange or mixing between gases, liquids or gas and liquid, said internal structure being divided in a plurality of chambers or channels connected to one another and said three-dimensional net-like structure being made of a plurality of unit structures which are arranged continuously in vertical and horizontal directions of the three-dimensional net-like structure, each of the unit structures being formed by conversion and dispersion of four line elements characterized in that a converging section of the unit structure where the four line elements converge is formed by twisting the four line elements together.
In another aspect of the invention, there is provided a three-dimensional net-like structure including a mist eliminator and a multi-layer filtering film made of a plurality of unit structures which are arranged continuously in vertical and horizontal directions of the three-dimensional net-like structure, each of the unit structures being formed by conversion and dispersion of three line elements characterized in that a converging section of the unit structure where the three line elements converge is formed by twisting the three line elements together.
In still another aspect of the invention, there is provided a three-dimensional net-like structure including a mist eliminator and a multi-layer filtering film made of a plurality of unit structures which are arranged continuously in vertical and horizontal directions of the three-dimensional net-like structure, each of the unit structures being formed by conversion and dispersion of four line elements characterized in that a converging section of the unit structure where the four line elements converge is formed by twisting the four line elements together.
Preferred embodiment of the invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.